Brett Santorelli explains to a visitor why he’s going to win the costume contest at the New Rochelle High School Fall Ball. Image via Redux

A for-profit museum with no curator has been green-lit in Seattle to house the glass works of Dale Chihuly. Set to open on April 21, 2012, to coincide with the 60th anniversary of the World’s Fair in which the Space Needle was first unveiled, critics of the plan (including Seattle Design Commission member Norie Sato) have described the one-artist institution as immoderately tourist-driven, vain, and ill-conceived with regard to the public’s desires. This, notwithstanding the city’s (largely inexplicable) enthusiasm for the hometown artist’s work.

Dasha Zhukova, founder of the Garage Center for Contemporary Culture in Moscow, launches the new art magazine, Garage, this week. Not to be confused with the motorcycle publication of the same name, Zhukova’s magazine has a decided emphasis on fashion over art. The first issue’s list of contributors in some ways resembles the “cool” table in a middle school cafeteria: Larry Gagosian’s girlfriend-with-a-made-up-name Shala Monroque is creative director. One cover, photographed by Hedi Slimane, features a model whose crotch is covered by a sticker (and when you pull it back, a tattoo) designed by Damien Hirst. At NYT, Garage’s art director, Mike Meiré describes the magazine as “very very different from other magazines”, the appeal apparently being that it’s impossible to guess what will be on the next page. A totally novel concept indeed. UPDATE: Citing the provocative Hirst cover, the Telegraph reports that British newsstand WHSmith has banned Garage from their circulation. Via Animal New York.

Image via Collectors Weekly

Fake puke, “an instant success”. Well, duh, but the history’s really very interesting. All you ever wanted to know about mass produced plastic barf thanks to Collector’s Weekly.

A replacement has been named for Egypt’s former antiquities chief, the media-friendly and Mubarak family favorite Zahi Hawass. In a statement to the Egyptian newspaper Al Masry Al Youm, Hawass’ successor, the less out-spoken Mohamed Abdel Fattah, highlighted a goal of moving forward with several of the department’s projects in spite of the fall in tourism revenue that has followed the revolution.

The Art Newspaper reports that art thefts are on the rise in North America. Authorities regret not having noticed the rising sales this year of rappelling ropes, grappling hooks, tight, black outfits; or vials of spray that show where the invisible laser tripwires are.

As Muammar Gaddafi’s hold on Tripoli continues to disintegrate, a man has appeared in front of Western reporters wearing a hat, necklace, and scepter said to belong to the Libyan dictator. Like the bad guy in an Eighties action movie, his English is good enough that he can be understood, though not so good that he sounds intelligent or discerning. No word on where the cool black friend might be.[Youtube]

Finally, we hear there’s a hurricane or something that might hit New York. It’s already been downgraded to a category 2 storm, but that shouldn’t stop us all from putting together our Hurricane Disaster Supply Kits. The New Yorker’s prep guide is just about perfect.